Toggle bushing mounting



July 18, 1967 w, ow 3,331,936

TOGGLE BUS HING MOUNT ING Filed Oct. 8, 1965 States Patent fitice 3,331,936 TOGGLE BUSHING MOUNTING William H. Owen, Cambridge, Md., assignor to Airpax Electronics Incorporated, Cambridge, Md'., a corporation of Maryland Filed Oct. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 494,158 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-168) This invention relates to a circuit breaker housing, more particularly to a circuit breaker housing formed for mounting, to afford the maximum resistance to vibration and shock loads.

The circuit breakers or switches to which this invention relates are of the type designed for mounting by a threaded stud extending through a hole in a panel, secured therein by a lock washer and nut, such that the whole mass of the switch or circuit breaker is secured in the panel by the relatively rigid, high strength, threaded stud member through which the switch handle extends. The threaded bushing or stud is, in turn, secured to a relatively thin metal housing forming a cover for the circuit breaker. When subjected to vibration, shock or high G loads, the mass tends to oscillate about the mounting stud and will ultimately develop a crack or fracture around the mounting stud and the housing or in some instances develop actual fractures in the housing in the area of the mounting stud.

It is an object of this invention to provide a circuit breaker housing for mounting the circuit breaker on the mounting panel so that the vibration of the mass of the circuit breaker about the mounting will be dampened or minimized.

It is another object of this invention to provide a circuit breaker housing which, when mounted on the panel, will aiford additional support for the circuit breaker and means for preventing fractures of the housing due to vibration, shock or G loads.

Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the description of the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a circuit breaker having a cover made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a circuit breaker having a cover formed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a circuit breaker mounted on a mounting panel; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the mounting panel showing the mounting hole detail.

The circuit breaker indicated as 1, in FIG. 1, is of the type having a metal housing 2 in which is secured by soldering or brazing the base 3 of a threaded mounting stud 4. Handle 5 extends from mounting stud 4 and is designed to pivot therein to actuate the circuit breaker mechanism within housing 1. Terminals 6 are mounted on the back of the circuit breaker in a conventional manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, there may be one or more pairs of terminals if the mechanism of the circuit breaker is de signed for gang operation.

The circuit breakers are hermetically sealed. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting of the circuit breaker in a hole in the panel is afforded by a hex nut 7 and a lock washer 8. A lock ring 9 is formed with a locating lug 10 that engages aperture 11 in the panel. Lock ring 9 also has a lug to engage a keyway seat formed in stud 4 (not shown) to maintain the orientation of the circuit breaker with respect to the panel on which it is mounted.

If it is desired to seal the hole in the panel through which the mounting stud extends, a rubber or ring seal 13 is inserted in a recess in member 3 to alford a seal when the nut is secured.

The construction of the switch as described above, as will be seen in FIG. 3, supports the whole mass of the switch 1 behind panel 15 on the mounting stud 4, particularly on portion 3 thereof secured to housing 2.

To dampen the vibration of the circuit breaker mounted on the panel and optionally to afford additional mounting, lugs 16 are provided which are spot-welded, brazed, extruded or otherwise secured or formed on casing 2 which are the same height as member 3. They afford additional points of contact with panel 15 to minimize or dampen vibration due to shock or a G load. If desired, holes 17 can be formed in the panel and screws 18 inserted therethrough to engage threaded holes and lugs 16 for additional support or a three point support on the panel for extreme load conditions. However, the lugs alone, without additional mounting screws, afford sufiicient support in addition to member 3 to prevent cracking of the housing at the juncture of member 3 with housing 2 or in the area of member 3 in the housing.

From the foregoing description of the embodiment of the invention, it will be seen that the housing of the circuit breaker may be formed with a plurality of lugs, maintained in contact with the rear surface of the mounting panel when the circuit breaker is mounted in place on the panel to dampen or minimize vibration due to shock or a G load and may additionally afford support for mounting screws for additional security of the circuit breaker for extreme conditions of vibration or a G load.

It is to be understood that certain changes, alterations, modifications and substitutions may be made in the structure of this invention within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

It is to be further understood that lugs 16 may also be referred to as bushings or protuberances and may or may not be internally threaded to receive a screw such as 18.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circuit breaker of the class described for mounting on a panel, said circuit breaker having a housing, a mounting stud secured to said housing extending through an aperture formed in said panel, nut means on said stud to secure said circuit breaker to said panel, a spacer member on said mounting stud secured to said housing and forming an abutment against the inner surface of said panel; a plurality of lugs positioned on said housing on the side to which said mounting stud is secured, spaced from said mounting stud, and extending the full distance from the side of said housing on which they are mounted to the inner face of said mounting panel.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said plurality of lugs are secured to said housing.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said lugs are formed in said housing at spaced positions from said mounting stud.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said lugs are formed with a threaded hole on the side adjacent the mounting panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,172 9/1950 Gates 200-168 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED FOR MOUNTING ON A PANEL, SAID CIRCUIT BREAKER HAVING A HOUSING, A MOUNTING STUD SECURED TO SAID HOUSING EXTENDING THROUGH AN APERTURE FORMED IN SAID PANEL, NUT MEANS ON SAID STUD TO SECURE SAID CIRCUIT BREAKER TO SAID PANEL, A SPACER MEMBER ON SAID MOUNTING STUD SECURED TO SAID HOUSING AND FORMING AN ABUTMENT AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID PANEL; A PLURALITY OF LUGS POSITIONED ON SAID HOUSING ON 